Recycling means never having to say you’re sorry…your consumerism, your weekly trips to the grocery, all equal out more or less and the world’s resources stay in the mix. But what about all those things we’re still throwing in the trash, or just sticking in a drawer? Here’s a lil’resource guide on what to do with ’em.

3. Cardboard boxes: Contact local nonprofits and women’s shelters to see if they can use them. Or offer them up at your local Freecycle.org listserv or on Craigslist.org. If your workplace collects at least 100 boxes or more each month, UsedCardboardBoxes.com accepts them for resale.

4. CDs/DVDs/Game Disks: Send scratched music or computer CDs, DVDs, and PlayStation or Nintendo video game disks to AuralTech for refinishing, and they’ll work like new: 888/454-3223, www.auraltech.com. For recycling, see “Technotrash.”

5. Clothes: Wearable clothes can go to your local Goodwill outlet or women’s shelter. Donate wearable women’s business clothing to Dress for Success, which gives them to low-income women as they search for jobs, 212/532-1922,www.dressforsuccess.org. Offer unwearable clothes and towels to local animal boarding and shelter facilities, which often use them as pet bedding.

6. Compact fluorescent bulbs: Take them to your local IKEA store for recycling: .www.ikea.com. Or, order a Sylvania RecyclePak for $15, which is a special lined box large enough for eight average CFLs. Your fee covers shipping to and recycling at Veolia Environmental Systems. To order, visitwww.sylvania.com/Recycle/RecyclePak.

10. Eyeglasses: Your local Lion’s Club or eye care chain may collect these. Lenses are reground and given to people in need.

11 . Foam packing peanuts: Your local pack-and-ship store will likely accept these for reuse. Or, call the Plastic Loose Fill Producers Council to find a drop-off site: 800/828-2214. For places to drop off foam blocks for recycling, contact the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers, 410/451-8340,www.epspackaging.org.

12. Ink/toner cartridges: Recycleplace.com pays $l/each.

13. Miscellaneous: Get your unwanted items into the hands of people who can use them. Offer them up on your local Freecycle.org or Craigslist.org listserv, or try giving them away at Throwplace.com or giving or selling them at iReuse.com. iReuse.com will also help you find a recycler, if possible, when your items have reached the end of their useful lifecycle.

16. Sports equipment: Resell or trade it at your local Play It Again Sports outlet, 800/476′-9249, www.playitagainsports.com.

17. “Technotrash”: Easily recycle all of your CDs, jewel cases, DVDs, audio and video tapes, cell phones, pagers, rechargeable and single-use batteries, PDAs, and ink/toner cartridges with GreenDisk’s Technotrash program. For a small fee, GreenDisk will send you a cardboard box in which you can ship them up to 70 pounds of any of the above. Your fee covers the box as well as shipping and recycling fees. 800/305 -GREENDISK, www.greendisk.com.

18. Tennis shoes: Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program turns old shoes into playground and athletic flooring: www.nikereuseashoe.com. One World Running will send still-wearable shoes to athletes in need in Africa, Latin America, and Haiti: www.oneworldrunning.com.

19. Toothbrushes and razors: Buy a recycled plastic toothbrush or razor from Recycline, and the company will take it back to be recycled again into plastic lumber. Recycline toothbrushes and razors are made from used StonyfieldFarms’yogurtcups. 888/354-7296; www.recycllne.com

Thank you for the detailed list on recycling items that were/have been in question. Just a note – most auto parts stores will take your used motor oil. I use Checkers, I dump it myself into their recycle canister in the back room, give them the approx amount I deposited, the oil grade, sign my name and out the door. Super easy and doesn’t cost a cent.

SInce 1997 I have been recycling pet supplies
as a business, Pet Stuff Resale, in Houston Texas. Lots of metal no longer goes into landfills and I burn plastic pieces that are no longer usable and not recyclable. I think there is less impact from burning than adding to landfills items that do not break down easily.
Of course it saves people money also.
I’m only in Houston so not trying to plug my company; just another way to reduce, reuse, recycle, respect.
Janet Huey
petstuffresale.com

Great tips. Though I would say that “re-using means never having to say you’re sorry.” Recycling still requires huge amounts of energy, so it doesn’t exactly balance out our consumerism completely. But it’s certainly better than the landfill.

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